Duterte: Joma Sison coming home to talk peace

TULUNAN, North Cotabato (MindaNews / 27 April) – Prof. Jose Maria Sison, founding chair of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has committed to come home to talk peace, Davao City mayor and Presidential frontrunner Rodrigo Duterte announced before a crowd of civilians and members of the New People’s Army (NPA) Tuesday afternoon during the release of a soldier the NPA held captive for five days. (see other story)

He said among the first things he would do if becomes President is to immediately declare a ceasefire.

PEACE. Young members of the New People’s Army welcome Davao City Mayor and Presidential frontrunner Rodrigo Duterte upon his arrival to receive Army Private First Class Edgardo Hilaga of the 7th Infantry Battallion in an upland village in Tulunan, North Cotabato on April 26, 2016. Hilaga was freed by the NPA after five days in captivity. MindaNews photo by TOTO LOZANO

Duterte narrated that the night before (April 25), he spoke with Sison via Skype and told his former professor on Political Thought, “pauli diri kay magstorya ta” (come home and let’s talk).

He said Sison agreed to come home during their Skype conversation in a venue with some military officials in attendance but added they did not know he was talking with Sison in another room.

Duterte did not say where the venue was but the night before, he was at the birthday celebration of his spiritual adviser, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Quiboloy claims to be “The Appointed Son of God.”

After his speech at the barangay plaza Tuesday, Duterte told reporters that as President, he would immediatley declare a ceasefire with the National Democratic Front (NDF) to pave the way for the resumption of peace talks.

He said he suggested to Sison that “pag-uwi nya, ceasefire agad” (ceasefire as soon as he returns home).

The Presidential frontrunner was the speaker at the graduation rites of Lyceum on April 23 where he narrated that Sison was his professor on Political Thought “and that’s why he contaminated us early on and we became the first KM (Kabataang Makabayan members).”

Sison was founding chair of the KM.

“If I make it God-willing to the Presidency, I will be the first Left President in this country,” Duterte said.

LIKE BROTHERS. A policeman shakes hand with members of the New Peoples Army after the latter released Private First Class Edgardo Hilaga of the 7th Infantry Battallion in Tulunan, North Cotabato on April 26, 2016. Hilaga was captured at a checkpoint in Makilala five days earlier. MindaNews photo by TOTO LOZANO

He has repeatedly said in speeches before and during the campaign that he is a socialist, is not a member of the CPP and does not believe in armed struggle.

The lone Mindanawon candidate told the crowd here that he opted to eventually run is for President when he realized that not one among the Presidential candidates was talking about Mindanao, about the peace processes that need to be attended to with the NPA, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

He talked about how the elite has been running this country for decades. He explained he would not have minded if government funds had been spent for the common good and not to line the pockets of the corrupt.

“Mao ning magrebolusyon ta ug akoy ma Presidente. Gub-on ko ning gobyernoha. Magtindog kog bag-o” (That is why we will wage a revolution if I become President. I will destroy this government. I will set up a new one), Duterte said. The crowd laughed but applauded when he said, “Ubani ko ninyo” (Be with me).

“Ilisdan ni nako ning gobyernoha. Magrebolusyon kog naa na ko didto kay dili ni para sa tao, dili ni matabang ug kaning Constitution nato (We will change this governemnt. I will wage a revolution if I am there because this government is not for the people, this can’t be helped under the present Constitution), he added.

The lone Mindanawon candidate is also the lone candidate among five contenders who is espousing a change in the system of government, from the unitary, Presidential, highly centralized form to the federal, parliamentary system.

The shift to federalism, however, requires amending the 1987 Constitution.

REVOLT FROM THE INSIDE. Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte vows to “change the government” and “revolt from the inside” if he becomes President during his speech at the release ceremonies for Army Private First Class Edgardo Hilaga who was freed by the New People’s Army on April 26, 2016, five days after he was arrested in a checkpoint in Malasila, Makilala. MindaNews photo by TOTO LOZANO

In earlier prounoncements he vowed to set up a revolutionary government and abolish Congress if he cannot effect change within six months should he become President.

“We will change this government. Pag naa na ko, muingon ko nga (when I become President, I will say) I will revolt from the inside, dili hinuan nga revolt nga magpatay. Naa koy back-up sa katawhan, back up ko sa tanan, ang miltary ug pulis musunod na lang na (not a bloody revolt, though. I will be backed up by the people, backed up by all, the military and police will just follow), he told the crowd here.

He said he wants government workers to remember that government funds are not personal funds.

“Ayaw kuhaa nang kwarta sa mga tao kay binayran ka man” (Do not get the people’s money because you are paid to do your work), he said.

“Usbon gyud nako ang utok sa Pilipino. Kinahanglan kaming taga-gobyerno ma-realize gyud namo nga kami suluguon lang” (I will really change the mindset of the Filipino. We must in government realize that we are mere servants of the people), said Duterte, a government prosecutor for 11 years, appointed OIC vice mayor from 1986 to 1988, elected mayor for seven terms (1988-1998; 2001-2010; 2013-2016), representative of the first district (1998-2001) and vice mayor (2010-2013).

If he wins the Presidency, the Filipino people should not expect him to have an oath-taking at the Luneta because he does not want to disturb traffic and would rather have his oath-taking in his office.

Duterte said the traditional oath-taking would also require him to feed the rich who do not need to be fed, anyway. If he will have to spend, he said, he would rather that the money intended for the inauguration be used to feed the poor.

He ended his 29-minute speech by raising his right fist and saying “Mabuhay ang NPA, Mabuhay ang NDF, mabuhay si Duterte” (Long live the NPA, Long live the NDF, Long live Duterte).

It wasn’t the first time he did that during a release ceremony. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)

6 COMMENTS

Mr Duterte has created a solid block of voters who are convinced that he is the Filipino messiah who will solve the deep and complicated cycle of criminality in the Philippines once and for all. These supporters probably value this hope above all else. The hope that Mr Duterte will solve this problem in the Philippines makes these supporters readily forgiving of any unprincipled behaviour that Mr Duterte may have done, is doing or will do. They seem willing to subordinate all other equally important values and principles to this promise of deliverance by Mr Duterte.

His supporters always point to the success of Davao as Mr. Duterte’s full credentials for the top job in the Philippines. Do all the data regarding Davao’s success point to Mr Duterte as the catalyst/source of all the good that has been happening in Davao? How about its populations’ initiative, talent and great attitude which are all grounded on principles such as perseverance, temperance, kindness, discernment, etc? How about foreign aids- the biggest of which is from Australia ($83M just in 2015-2016)? One fact is that AusAid (Australian Aid) scholarships and projects have been targeted for Mindanao for many years now and as such most masteral and PhD scholars in Australia, past and present are from Davao. Many of them have settled in Australia. These people would have contributed much to the wealth circulating in Davao.

How sustainable is Mr Duterte’s brand of justice? Will it not create more problems than it solves in the long run? We all know that justice and mercy should be carefully balanced to be effective- as such the symbol for justice is a balancing scale being held by the goddess of the moral force. A lifelong habit of temperance and wisdom will render a more effective and enduring justice system. An aggressive approach may work for the time being, but if it is against sound principles, will it last?

Many of his supporters also point to the success of Singapore under Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s disciplinarian approach. But LKY was promoted/voted by his fellow parliamentarians as their prime minister because they intimately knew and believed in his great character and skills.

What kind of governing atmosphere will prevail if Mr. Duterte gets into power? Wouldn’t he also choose like-minded, similarly behaved people within his circle of leadership? Or perhaps he might opt for “yes” people who he knows will be easily intimidated by his ego strength-that way he can expedite all his action plans? Will decent and effective people with opposite habits, principles and values to him stick around? What kind of character legacy amongst other leaders will he leave behind? Will this set a new generation of leaders and citizenry who will not regard niceties, proper treatment of each other as very important aspect of everyday living and interaction? Will national policies on values education be important at all? Will the students believe that they are foundational for effective living when the president of the country doesn’t demonstrate proper decorum even in public- and yet revered for it?

I hope that the Philippines will have a good ruler after May 9th. Or at least someone who will not plunge the country into a great moral turmoil which usually precedes social upheaval (as history shows) in the short or long term because such a situation will flow on to a massive (national) economic disaster and a cycle of bad life will happen more often, more prolonged, more severe, to more families. And the poorest are usually the first to bear the brunt of this woeful and intergenerational cycle of life wherein criminality is the most obvious symptom.

Sadly, even first world countries have always had their fair share of poverty and criminality. And as always, criminality is more entrenched in very low socio-economic suburbs. Only progressive/creative styles of local and state leadership involving job creation, alternative education and meaningful community activities have managed to make significant and enduring solutions to some of these suburbs. But even first world countries don’t always have enough resources to deal with these problems in all their jurisdictions.

After 20 years of living abroad, I have seen many improvements in the Philippines both in Metro Manila and in the provinces particularly in the last decade. I’m happy to see that the present generation of Filipinos is living a lot better off than the previous generations. Even my village in one of the remotest parts of Luzon has had significant lifestyle improvements. Some of these improvements are comparable to first world countries, others are even more desirable. Hence, more and more Filipino retirees overseas are thinking of living back in the Philippines. I believe that the pace of progress in the Philippines is well on track. A decent, intelligent and discerning top leader is what the country needs to maintain or hasten the pace or at least not fall backwards.

I believe that as an individual, a family or society, a value- based approach to any issues in life will eventually prove to have more enduring and permanent success. As David Starr Jordan once said, “There is no real excellence in all this world which can be separated from right living.”

Adherence to correct principles (natural laws of life) has always been the foundation of societies that have endured and prospered.

duterte na. he delivers. this is what we call leadership.people will comply if there is credibility and sincerity. that is what happened in davao. of course the mayor did not do it alone for it takes two to tango.

d’s policy is heavily influenced by his mentor joma sison. no wonder the collateral damage of killing criminals has found no shame nor guilt in his conscience. d likes to call himself a socialist, for the poor. but wait until joma sison comes and he then forcibly injects the communist ideals of class war in the phil system (which you can feel already in this election). then everyone st*pid enough who voted for him will feel the effects of his policies, first and foremost the rejects of society which will be better-off dead or buried as he has always said.